George A. Romero (‘Night of the Living Dead’) Dies at 77

Legendary horror filmmaker George A. Romero has died. The father of the zombie movie genre, Romero was an icon. His legacy will continue on for decades to come, on screens large and small.

Night of the Living Dead was not supposed to be a success in 1968. The movie cost the first-time filmmaker just over $100,000 to make and was widely panned by critics. Nevertheless, it established the zombie film as we know it, and set the standard for the likes of The Walking Dead, Zombieland, Evil Dead, and even the Resident Evil video game and movie franchise. The public reacted strongly to Romero’s mastery of horror. Filmmakers like John Carpenter and Peter Jackson were inspired by Romero’s mastery of the low-budget scare flick.

Romero’s work was not limited to Night of the Living Dead. The movie launched a series of sequels, including Dawn of the Dead, Land of the Dead, and more. He was recently involved with The Crazies in 2010, which he wrote.

On Sunday, July 16, 2017, George A. Romero passed away in his sleep, surrounded by family and friends. He was listening to his favourite movie soundtrack, from The Quiet Man. He died after a “brief but aggressive battle with lung cancer”.

Whether you are a fan of his work or not, you cannot deny Romero’s influence on pop culture. That influence is especially evident in the recent popularity of the zombie-horror genre. TWD is one of the most talk-about shows on TV today. Even comedies like Shaun of the Dead capitalize on it while making fun of it at the same time.

On a personal note, I was not supposed to watch my first George A. Romero movie. I was a young kid and was not allowed to watch scary movies – at least not on my own. I watched it without my mom knowing, and instantly fell in love with zombie movies. I had nightmares for a week, but I still love zombie movies to this day.

Were you a fan of George A. Romero? Will you join me in watching as many of his movies as possible this week? Leave your personal memories of this iconic figure’s work in the comments.